Breakfast with En cordée (Roped Up)

Interview with Matthieu Vigneau, director of En cordée (Roped Up)

 Why did you choose to shoot En cordée in black and white?
From the moment I wrote the script, I was set on black and white. I like of course the aesthetic aspect, but I was also looking for a timeless feel.

 How did you come up with the idea of an encounter with a stranger in this solitary environment?
A few years ago, I had the opportunity to see John Boorman’s Hell in the Pacific in the theater. That’s where the idea comes from, the idea of two men in a confined space who have to get along.

 Why were you interested in the feelings of trust and distrust between these two characters?
The situation the characters find themselves in naturally creates this kind of relationship. Also, it is fun to depict distrust.

 What interested you about the contrast between the very concrete side and the quirky humor of this film?
Without these little relief valves of humor, which perhaps won’t make anyone laugh anyways, the film would be too austere, too flat. I tried to make a film where the humor does not quash the intrigue.

 What interested you in the principle of the rope and the connection it entails between the different characters involved with said rope?
The metaphor of the mountain rope is the foundation of the script. This idea where one person depends on another interests me. I also like the cyclic principle, the loop. In the end, this film is a simple scene that could infinitely repeat itself, a perpetual movement.

 Any cinematic coups de cœur in the past year you’d like to tell us about?
The 2016 movie that I really enjoyed was La loi de la jungle (The Law of the Jungle) by Antonin Peretjatko. The film took me by surprise every ten seconds.

 If you’ve already been to Clermont-Ferrand, could you share with us an anecdote from the festival? If not, what are your expectations for this year?
My first film, Jason Krist, was selected for the National Competition last year. The festival was a pleasant discovery. I have lots of anecdotes, but the most beautiful one is my encounter with a young woman on the train home. Just a month ago, that young woman became the mother of our son, Vercingétorix.

En cordée is being shown in National Competition F12.